Regardless of which direction the war of the sexes is leaning, one thing is certain: A gender gap still exists between women and men when it comes to buying a new car.
According to the third annual gender and car buying study by TrueCar.com, the brand with the highest percentage of retail sales to women in 2011 continues to be Mini (46.2 percent), followed by Nissan (45.7 percent), and Kia (45.6 percent) compared to 2010 when Mini (47.9 percent) came in first, followed by Kia and Honda respectively (46.8 percent and 46.0 percent). On the flip side, 13 of the top 20 brands in 2011 with the highest percentage of male buyers were either exotic or luxury brands.
While the stereotype for men and women in relationships tells us that men lead with their head and women with their hearts, the opposite can be said of their decision-making at the car dealership. According to the results, female car buyers really gravitated toward practical cars; smaller, more fuel-efficient cars while it was male buyers, who preferred either a fast, sporty vehicle or more heavy-duty vehicle, like a large truck or SUV, basing their decision more on aesthetics than substance.
So what new cars are women buying? Let's take a look!
Volvo S40
Starting Price: $27,750
Percentage of female buyers: 57.9%
Promoted by Volvo as the "Fuel Efficient Sedan," is it any wonder that women were attracted to the well-priced S40, which retailed for about $27,750 and offered great fuel economy of 21 mpg city, 30 highway, and a combined 24 mpg? Sadly, the Volvo S40 was discontinued for the US market after the 2011 model year, but if you just gotta have this fun to drive, sport sedan we suggest you take a look at the 2012 Volvo S60 instead.
